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So your daughter is too timid to play softball? She jumps out of the batter's box when her coach soft tosses to her, she runs away anytime you toss the ball underhand to her, and she would rather get tagged out than attempt a slide?

Welcome to the club.

Sure, there are some girls that are fearless. There are girls that pick up a bat and just naturally know what to do with it. But there are others (like mine) that you feel will never get over their own fear long enough to make progress and there are still others that are somewhere in between.

What's important to realize is that there is no single "type" of softball player. Just like everything else, we have to teach our daughters to play to their strengths and work on their weaknesses. The worst thing you can do as a parent (and I speak from experience) is to tell yourself she just isn't ever going to get over her fear. She probably won't, and that's ok.

Softball needs timid girls. Those are the girls that think before they act. They're the ones that know where to throw the ball without thinking. They're the ones that understand the game. They're the ones that the coach can count on when he needs someone to get the job done. That's not to say that the fearless girls don't know those things too, plenty of them do. And to be honest, plenty of the timid girls don't get it easily either.

A little fear is healthy. There is a ball being thrown at her - hard. Ground balls can hurt when they hit you after a bad hop. It's normal and natural to be a little afraid. The key is to teach them how to work through their fears. There is no magic formula. Compassion and reps are your friend. Have compassion for her feelings (no Angry Dads) and work, work, work. The reality is she will probably never be fearless. She will always have a healthy fear of being hurt, but over time she will learn to deal with that fear.

Every girl has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some weaknesses are physical and some are mental. But each girl needs to work through them and will grow at her own pace. Don't allow your daughter to give up if she doesn't "get" it quickly. And more importantly, don't give up on her if she's growing slower than you'd like. If she loves the sport, that's all that matters.

Your daughters softball career is an investment, but not a financial one. The chances your daughter will end up getting a scholarship are very small. The price you will pay over the years will most likely be more than what you will ever get in return from a school. It is an investment in her, in her emotinal growth and in your relationship with her.

Relax and let her just be herself - fears and all.
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